Only a Memory
by Minako Angel
Summary: Dee and Ryo are working on a double case, one of which brings back memories for Ryo. But an 'accident' results in short term memory loss, as Ryo searches for the perp he already knows is behind the whole case, he just can't remember him...DeexRyo. Ch5 up!
1. Only the Beginning

Happy First Week of the New Year!

Hi everyone! I'm doing a very bad thing as a writer…(as in, starting a new story when I haven't yet finished two others…) I'm stepping back into the FAKE world for this fic. The timeline for this is around volume 5, but there will be events from volume 7 here, so beware of spoilers. For anyone who cares, chapter five of 'It all changed…' should be posted at the end of the week, probably Friday, but don't be disappointed if that isn't the case. Any other updates I've promised to do should show up two weeks from now, if I remember to actually do them.

I wanted to write something new after my first New Year exam. It went okay, so that took some stress off me, but I've got two more this coming week, and I'm really nervous…

Anyway, more author ranting at the end. Enjoy!

Chapter One: Only the Beginning

'This room…The blood…The bullet holes…A complete massacre. It's so like that time…'

A deserted apartment sectioned off by the cops of the 27th Precinct, New York, stood in the dim light. The main room, filled with investigators, smelt of blood. What was left of the furniture was trashed, and nothing remained unturned. But the bedroom was one of the worst rooms. The smell of murder was the strongest there.

"Ryo?" A dark haired man touched his partner lightly on the arm. For a moment, the half-Japanese detective had worn a pained expression, but within seconds it was gone.

"Hmm? Dee?" Ryo acknowledged the taller man with a smile. Dee wondered if he had imagined that hurt look.

"We're finished here, so we can go home now." Dee thought for a moment. 'No, I'm not seeing things. Ryo looked different…'

"Okay." The shorter detective shrugged, walking up to the Chief of the Investigation. "Do you want me to look further into the Bennett case, Sir?" He asked a stocky older man with stubble and a moustache.

"No, you boys are done for today. I'll see you first shift tomorrow." Behind his back, two other detectives secretly sighed with relief. This murder case was nasty, and the men at the 27th were tired enough already.

"Woo-hoo! I'm coming over for dinner, okay?" Dee cheered, catching up to Ryo and getting into the driver's seat of the car.

"Do I get to say 'no'?" Ryo teased, shaking his head at his partner as Dee started up the car.

"C'mon, I'll even help!" Green eyes sparkled, staring directly into the dark depths of Ryo's eyes. Dee's puppy-dog attempts rarely won his partner over, but Ryo nodded silently in return.

"All right. It has been rather quiet at home since Bikky left for college…" Ryo's voice was a low whisper, but Dee caught his words and listened quietly. 'My apartment is devoid of life. In fact, it's Deevoid." Ryo chuckled to himself.

"Ryo, that was creepy…" Dee grinned, his eyes leaving the road to stare at his partner. 'He's so cute…'

"DEE! Eyes on the road, please!" Ryo shouted suddenly, as the car swerved slightly into the middle of the road. Despite being an all-round good driver, Dee had some bad habits, including speeding, driving with two fingers and staring at Ryo for long periods of time. The police car cruised along nicely at 60mph, reaching the chestnut-haired man's apartment in record time.

"Why the hell do I let you drive?" Ryo hissed, his fingers pale from clutching the seat.

"Because you love me, babe." Dee smiled, opening his partner's door and unbuckling his seat belt. Ryo was about to protest when he found himself in Dee's arms. The 'attacker' grinned like a madman.

"I hope there's something steamy on the menu tonight." He smiled seductively.

"Hornball." Ryo sighed as Dee carried him bridal style up the steps.

"There you go!" Dee put Ryo gently down on the couch. "Hey, erm, Ryo…"

"What is it?" The older man headed towards his kitchen and began searching the cupboards.

"Earlier, you seemed a little different. You know, at the crime scene…"

Ryo dug his nails into his palms. "Really?"

"…Are you okay?" Dee stood behind the man he loved, emerald eyes filled with concern. "You can talk to me, Ryo." Olive fingers rubbed up and down Ryo's back softly.

"It's nothing…I'm fine." The shorter male stood up abruptly. "I think I'll take a shower first, okay?"

"Yeah, fine." Dee watched Ryo sadly as he left for the bathroom. 'Obviously he doesn't want company.' He sighed disappointedly. Reaching for the television remote, Dee flicked through dramas and children's cartoons to the sports channel. 'Guess I'll have to do with another kind of entertainment.'

---

The water was warm and refreshing. Ryo sighed as he ran his hands through soaked bangs of chestnut coloured hair. Whenever he needed to just calm himself down and take a break from the harsh reality of life, a shower was just the ticket. Even as a child, when he was upset and had to escape from a situation, taking a shower had been a top priority.

Steam clouded the bathroom, leaving the ebony eyed man in a dreamy haze. Warm drops of water trickled down his face, arms, legs and back, leaving him refreshed and relaxed. It was so comforting.

"Ah…that's better." Ryo turned the shower off and began towel drying his hair. Before leaving the bathroom, he put on his dressing gown. With Dee in his apartment, Ryo realised how stupid it was to forget to bring fresh underwear and a new set of clothes in with him. "Dee, I'm finished."

"Okay." Dee turned to see Ryo, clean and radiant, stood in the doorway.

"What are you watching?" Ryo asked, joining Dee on the coach, a little nervous about his current state.

"Just some basketball. Feel any better?" Dee's face was full of worry, not lust. This surprised Ryo a little.

'I should give Dee more credit…' He thought, feeling guilty. "Yeah…thanks…"

"No problem. That's good to hear." Dee turned back to the television.

"Amazing." Ryo smiled, as Dee's attention was back on sport. "I'm sat with you on the couch wearing absolutely nothing but a dressing gown, and you'd rather watch the game!"

"You're naked…?" Dee picked up the remote and turned the television off.

"Yes, and you're acting like a complete gentleman. I'm proud of you Dee!" Ryo giggled, settling back into the cushions.

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint!" Dee pounced Ryo, smiling. "But I'm hungry for love." Struggling underneath the heavier man, Ryo frowned as Dee licked his neck seductively.

"You never change…" He sighed as Dee's lips pressed against his own… "Mmm…"

"Hush now, baby…" Dee purred, his hand caressing Ryo's thigh. The kiss deepened, and Ryo gave up trying to escape. It felt too good to move from Dee's touch.

"Mmm…Dee…" The hand rubbed up and down Ryo's leg, and he shuddered in delight, feeling himself submit to Dee as the younger man's free arm wrapped protectively around his body.

Just as Dee was about to take them further, his stomach growled. In the midst of everything, both men had forgotten to eat.

"I guess you were hungry, Dee…" Ryo joked, sliding out of the embrace as Dee sighed in desperation.

"I can't believe it…" He whined. "Just when we get some alone time, I blow it. This sucks."

"I'll start on dinner." Ryo smiled. Part of him was relieved that it had stopped there. The more adventurous part of him was as disappointed as Dee.

"Hey, can we have pasta?" Dee asked, his stomach rumbling again.

"Sure…oh…wait a minute. I'm out…" Ryo sighed. "I'll go get some from the local convenience store. I won't be long, okay?"

"You don't have to, I'll have something else…" Dee stood up, watching the bedroom door shut as Ryo began to get changed.

"It's okay. Once you mentioned pasta, I kind of felt like some too!" The half-Japanese man called through the wall.

'I was so close…' Dee groaned. 'What did I do to deserve this?' A couple of images of a naked Ryo moaning his name ran through his mind. 'Okay, so I'm a pervert. Is that a sin?'

"Right." Ryo emerged fully dressed from the bedroom. "I'll just go get the pasta, I'll be ten minutes tops."

"Okay. But I'll be timing you. If it takes more than that I'm calling a search party." Dee kissed his partners lips. They were so soft, so tempting…

"I'll be fine, horn dog. Just don't die of starvation whilst I'm out." Ryo pushed Dee away, but tenderly all the same.

"Ryo…" Dee called softly, as the shorter man opened his front door. "I love you…"

"…Yeah, I know…" Ryo smiled, closing the door behind him.

As Ryo went down the first set of steps, he heard footsteps behind him.

'Dee?' He wondered, slowly turning around. There was nobody there. 'Jeez, I must be paranoid…'

As soon as Ryo started to descend the last set of stairs, he felt hands behind him push him forwards.

"Ah!" The chestnut haired detective flung his arms out blindly in an attempt to stop the fall, but the effort was futile. He lost his balance, falling down the steps hard. Pain registered through his body, as he kept falling, bouncing down the lower steps. It was at the bottom, where the stone wall cornered off the staircase that stopped Ryo's fall. Hitting it head on, Ryo didn't even have time to think as everything went black.

'Dee…'

The footsteps made a break for it, thudding down the stairs and across the corridor. The shadowy figure opened the door of the apartment, then slammed it shut, leaving behind an unconscious detective, laying in a pool of his own blood.

TBC…

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Yay! A successful first chapter! (Well, to me it is…) As usual, I'm posting this late, so any typos are made due to my tiredness…sorry…I was going to update one of my other stories, but I wrote most of this down on paper first, and thought I'd give this story line a go.

The plot has been briefly established here, but from the next chapter onwards, it's probably not going to be as easy to follow (smiles evilly). As prologues go, this wasn't as interesting as I'd imagined, but I have a lot of ideas for this. If you feel like finding out more, please stick with me. I've got a good feeling about this story!

See you next chappy then? Hope so!

Byezies,

Minako Angel xxx

Disclaimer: I do not own FAKE. But I wish I did…

(Yes, I forgot to do the disclaimer. That is why it is at the end of the chapter, and not before it).


	2. What happened next, what happened before

Bonsoir tout le monde! I'm sorry for the delay…I was hit with writer's block, and none of my stories were/are going anywhere…Anyway, back to Only a Memory, a fic I almost forgot about! Thanks to all my readers, and special thanks to Kitty in the Box, Nicole Donovan, Bloodyrose666, animegurl088, Golden feathers Edward and Tohru-tan for reviewing chapter one.

Disclaimer: I looked in the mirror…still not Sanami Matoh, so nope, FAKE isn't my masterpiece. I also don't own any brand names used in this story.

Note: Yes, this fic is still under the status TD, but hopefully, I will be able to properly continue it soon…I guess I'm just trying to warn you that this chapter might be rubbish!

Chapter Two: What happened next, and what happened before…

The police car rolled to a stop, windows glinting in the morning sun. Shadows cast from high rise apartment blocks camouflaged the dirty streets only visible on closer inspection. An empty can of cola followed its set path down the sidewalk, creating a tinny sound that carried in the wind. The car door opened, and the driver, late twenties with sandy locks and the darkest eyes, emerged. He sighed, locking the door before heading up the stairs to the 27th Precinct.

"Morning, Ryo. Hey, I thought you and Dee came in second shift?" Drake Parker greeted the man, checking his watch before sipping at the coffee held in his left hand.

"Yeah, but I couldn't sleep last night…" Ryo sighed. Under the bright lights his face was pale, and bags were beginning to show under his Japanese eyes. "The Chief gave us another case, since it links to this one."

"Oh, the Bennet one? Tough luck man, we're getting nowhere as it is…" Drake threw the paper cup away, stretching his tired muscles.

The 27th Precinct had become very busy since the beginning of January. Now, with another week to go before the 'final' winter month, the cops needed a break.

"Where's J.J this morning?" Ryo asked, scanning the room for the lilac-haired man.

"Oh…he's in the other room…"

'_The room…The blood…The bullet holes…A complete massacre…'_

---

The rhythmic ticks of the clock did little to calm Dee's nerves. Already he'd gone from pacing, to staring blankly at the poster on the wall advertising a pillow for a better nights sleep. Now, he sat fidgeting, praying for something to happen, for someone to tell him that Ryo was okay.

Over two hours ago, Dee had found his partner sprawled at the bottom of the stairs. Another flat mate living in Ryo's apartment heard the sandy-haired man fall down the stairs, and quickly called for an ambulance before alerting Dee. The raven-haired man couldn't believe it. Ryo was unconscious, with a head wound that had already coated the floor in an elegant shade of crimson. Dee had pressed a wet flannel to the side of the half-Japanese man's head, whispering sweet nothings and praying whilst clutching his partner's pale hand.

"_It was a complete accident," _Mrs Foster, Ryo's apartment neighbour, claimed _"poor thing lost his balance, I imagine…"_ How could Ryo be so clumsy? Dee shook his head. More crystalline tears made tracks down his handsome, olive-skinned face. He bit his lip, tasting a little blood as the clock kept ticking.

'It was only pasta…Pasta dammit.' He cursed inwardly. The silence almost echoed down the pure white corridors. Dee hands flexed, his nails scratching into the plastic chair beneath him. _Tick tock. Tick tock. Tick tock. _

'Ryo's strong, he'll be fine. Besides, head wounds bleed a lot anyway. He'll be fine. And soon, we'll both go home and be able to laugh at this one day.' Dee grated his teeth together, desperately trying to hold onto the belief that Ryo would be okay. He had to stay professional; panicking would only make things worse.

A door to his left opened suddenly, and out of the room came a small girl with curly brown hair, perhaps only six years old, with her mother. In her hands, she cradled a stuffed monkey. Rolling his eyes at the toy, Dee suddenly sat up straight.

"Shit!" Dee realised he'd forgotten to contact Bikky about the accident. The sixteen year-old would most certainly worry about the condition of his guardian. 'Hmm…I'd better tell him when I see how Ryo is. Stupid baboon would only freak out and blame me for letting Ryo get hurt…' Dee sighed. He didn't really care if Bikky pounded him to the ground for this. All that mattered was Ryo, and Dee didn't want to upset the teenager just yet. If Ryo was alright then it would be a lot easier for everyone, and Dee would contact Bikky and the boy's girlfriend, Carol, instantly.

"Patient 10, Ryo McLain." Dee hadn't even heard the door across from his open, when a doctor's voice pulled him back down to Earth.

"Yes! How is he? Can I see him?" Jumping to his feet, Dee quickly began firing questions. "Is he alright? How's his head? When can he come home?"

The doctor raised his hand to silence the dark-haired man. Behind silver-rimmed glasses, blue eyes narrowed.

"Dee Laytner, I presume?" He looked down at the clipboard again, noting the worry resurfacing in emerald depths.

"Y…yes, doctor." Dee's stomach began to do somersaults. Something wasn't right here. 'Oh God, Ryo…please, please be okay.'

"Follow me please."

Dee nodded silently, and entered the room with his heart pounding and knees shaking, wondering just what to expect…

---

The police car rolled to a stop, windows glinting in the morning sun. Shadows cast from high rise apartment blocks were barely visible in the early morning light. An empty can of Fanta followed its set path down the sidewalk, creating a tinny sound that carried in the wind. The car door opened, and the driver, late twenties with sandy locks and the darkest eyes, emerged. He sighed, leaving the door unlocked before heading up the stairs to the 27th Precinct.

"Morning, Ryo. Hey, I thought you and Dee came in second shift?" Drake Parker greeted the man, checking his watch before sipping at the drink held in his right hand.

"Yeah, but I couldn't sleep last night…" Ryo sighed. Under the bright lights his face was pale, and bags were beginning to show under his Japanese eyes. "The Chief gave us another case, since it links to this one."

"Oh, the Bennet one? Tough luck man, we're getting nowhere as it is…" Drake put his cup down before stretching his tired muscles.

Ryo sat down at Drake's desk and began looking through the file that lay there, begging to be read. He soon realised how quiet it was in the old building.

"Where's J.J this morning?" He asked, scanning the room for the lilac-haired man.

"Oh…he's in the other room…"

'_The room…The blood…The bullet holes…A complete massacre. It's so like that time…'_

TBC

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Err, yeah, sorry if this chappy confuses (or disappoints, _sniffle_) anyone. It should all make sense eventually! I want some more Dee/Ryo interaction, so hurry up chapter three! I must work faster! Don't worry; I'll try even harder for my next update!

See you then (hopefully…)

Minako Angel xxx


	3. Do dreams reflect reality?

Well, it has been over a month, but finally I've finished chapter three! I had this ready to post for Friday the thirteenth, but I think everyone is having problems with the Document Manager. I managed to post this thanks to some helpful steps by Harri B and Tikatu, so thanks to them even if they never read my stories! Sorry about the delay. Thanks for reading the first two chapters of OAM. I love watching my hit count go up, and reading the comments for this fic. Special thanks go to kitkat78, Golden feathers Edward, Tohru-tan, Baby-Manson, Mitsubishie-Eclipse, and animegurl088 for your lovely reviews. All responses feed my motivation, and it's actually the last review that I got for chapter 2 that encouraged me to write this…so, without further ado…

Chapter Three: Do dreams reflect reality?

The Doctor slowly flicked through his chart, sensing the dark-haired detective's anxiety as he fumbled with the box of cigarettes in his left pocket.

"Mr McLain has sustained a closed head injury, caused by the trauma of falling down a flight of stairs. There is some internal bleeding, particularly around the area that received the most impact, but it isn't life threatening. However, with head wounds, it's hard to state how bad the damage is, so as of yet, we do not know if there will be long-term problems…"

"So what does that mean?" Dee frowned at the terminology. He wanted to see Ryo desperately, no matter what state he was in.

"In simple English, he has a concussion. And when he wakes –!"

"When will that be?" Dee raised his voice a little, the Doctor annoying him with his nasal tone and voice of superiority.

"If there is no major damage, it could even be a few hours, but usually, three to five days. I have seen patients in the past remain unconscious for barely an hour in the best cases." The Doctor pushed his glasses back up his nose, and put the chart back on his desk. "You may see him now, Mr Laytner."

Following the man's directions, Dee headed further down the hallway, his eyes scanning the white hospital beds for his partner.

Ryo was lying still, sound asleep. He looked so peaceful, even with the thick bandage wrapped around his head, and the tube sticking out of his pale right arm.

Dee froze for a moment, taking in the image of his bed-ridden lover. He walked quickly towards Ryo and sat down by his side. "Hi, gorgeous. Look at you, hmm. I take my eyes off you for a second, and…" He sighed, taking his Ryo's slender hand into his own. "I love you, Ryo. I know I keep saying it, but I feel like I can't say it enough."

The Doctor watched Dee interact with his partner. He marvelled at how the raven-haired man delicately removed the stray hairs from Ryo's face, how he kept his voice calm and gentle as he whispered sweet nothings into his ear. Behind him, a tall man with short blonde hair and light brown eyes coughed.

"How is he?" He asked, worry evident in his voice, despite the lack of emotion showing on his face.

"And you are?" The Doctor raised an eyebrow at the man, turning to face him. It became a staring contest. Ice blue orbs challenged chocolate depths. The other man blinked first, causing the Doctor to smirk, his attention returning to Mr Laytner and Mr McLain.

"Let's just say, I'm…an acquaintance of Mr McLain." The blonde man smiled, his eyes locating the unconscious chestnut-haired man, and the partner at his side. 'Laytner…'

"For now, Mr McLain is stable…but, time will tell." Mr Williams, the Doctor, informed the other. "You may see him, if that is your intention."

"No, the view from here is just fine." The taller man replied, watching the Doctor leave to attend to another patient. He put a finger to his rose pink lips. 'I wonder what you taste like, McLain?' He wondered, reaching into his blue rucksack for a drink. He opened the can of Dr Pepper, the hiss of the cap not stirring the dark detective in front of him. Dee was only focused on his partner, as always. He took a few sips of the soft drink, smiling in satisfaction. 'I guess the old man was right. Only time will tell…'

---

The street was the same, as was the time of day. The police car pulled to a stop in the same place, as it had done repeatedly, over and over again. Some things didn't change…but then again, it would be impossible for some events to play out differently. The sun would always shine, it was a certainty.

But this time, as the driver got out of the car, locking it for good measure, he stopped before heading up the stairs. The empty can rolling down the sidewalk echoed in the silence. Dark eyes fixed on a figure a little further up the street, with brown eyes lighter than his own. The man smiled. It wasn't a friendly smile, nor was it false. This man…who was he?

The stranger looked down at the can, which had finally stopped moving as it had become stuck on a grate in the road. It was his, the pale detective realised.

The man walked over to Ryo, standing right in front of him.

"I have an unhealthy addiction to that drink…" His voice was so unfamiliar. "…It quenches my thirst, but leaves me craving more. And until I have it, I can't do anything. I can't eat, I can't sleep, I can't breathe…"

Ryo frowned, unable to recognise the blonde-haired man in front of him.

"But it's not my only addiction…" The man stared deeply into Ryo's eyes, scaring the half-Japanese detective with his intensity.

"Who are you?" Ryo barely recognised his own voice. This hadn't happened before. He should be with Drake right now, he should be discussing the cases.

"Wake up, Ryo." The man chanted. "Wake up…"

---

"Please wake up, Ryo." Dee pleaded, kissing the pale hand he had been holding for the past twenty minutes. Ryo's fingers twitched in a movement that was barely noticeable, but caught Dee's emerald eyes all the same. It was only a muscle spasm, but Dee took it as a sign that Ryo could hear him, and was listening to his every word.

"Dear God." Dee prayed. "I may not have been truly faithful all these years, but I have one small favour to ask of you. I know I might not deserve it, but please help Ryo get better. He doesn't deserve to suffer, he works so hard to take care of everyone…"

"And so he turns to religion…" A deep voice mused aloud, turning to leave the scene after a good half-an-hour of watching the dark-haired detective tell his partner how beautiful and amazing he was. As he left the hospital, he threw his can at the nearest bin on the sidewalk. It missed its mark, and landed with a soft thud onto the grass. Ignoring his poor aim, the man continued on his way, the Dr. Pepper can laying forgotten amongst the weeds.

TBC…

I would write more, but I have to be off the computer in a minute, and it seemed like a good place to stop. Not much is happening, but more is being added to the picture. I'm thinking about going into more detail about the cases soon…but, as everyone keeps saying, only time will tell. This chapter surprises me…it moves along slowly, but reveals some interesting info, ne? I hope the fact that this being incredibly boring doesn't turn anyway off my story. I'm going to keep trying, and hopefully, start to update quicker. I'm being so lazy, I could have written this days ago…

Anyone who decides to keep reading, thank-you so much!!! It means too much to me to express how I feel in words!

Byezies,

Minako Angel xxx

P.S. I picked a strange title for this instalment. It was the hardest thing


	4. Waking up, Falling asleep

Hello again, it has been a while. Many thanks to everyone who has read Only a Memory so far, and special thanks to my very kind reviewers of chapter three, Mitsubishie Eclipse (I guess you were right about the previous chapter title!), Tohru-tan (for your kind words), Bloodyrose666 (wow, you really are still reading! Thanks!), and endiahna (your enthusiasm helped motivate me!).

I'm having a difficult time right now, with both my grandparents being very ill at the same time, and other things, so I wasn't going to update any stories until July. But everyone here is so nice, and I feel bad for my lack of updates recently…

So, here's chapter four. My only warning is that it is short…for that I apologise in advance. Enjoy!

Chapter Four: Waking up, Falling Asleep

"The flowers are dying…" Dee sighed. "I know, I know, I should have fed them everyday. You'd go nuts if you saw them now, love, all drooping."

The only response was the rhythmic sounds of the heart monitor, but the dark-haired detective was determined to break up the silence.

"Remember those lovely sunflowers you were obsessed with? You'd looked after them so well, and then the monkey brat cut them down to the stalks to save his ass!" Dee grinned at the memory.

Taking the pale man's hand in his own, Dee began to rub Ryo's hand with his thumbs, lightly caressing his joints.

Four days. Four long, tiresome days his Ryo had been like this, and God, Dee missed him. His kind smile, his gentle voice…

But it could be days before he even opened his gorgeous dark eyes and looked at Dee once more.

The olive-skinned detective hadn't slept so badly since Penguin had been injured and even then, he'd had Ryo by his side to help him keep it together. Resting his head on Ryo's chest, Dee was watchful of all the wires attached to his partner. His emerald eyes slowly began to close, when something squeezed his left hand. At first it was light, then, without warning, the grip became tighter, causing Dee to jolt.

"What the -?"

It was Ryo…Ryo was holding his hand! Dee, frozen in shock, watched with baited breath as the older man flexed his hands.

Ryo's eyes fluttered, moving rapidly under the closed lids. After a couple more minutes, dark eyes shot open, out-of-focus, but awake to the world. He took a deep breath, as if someone has just released his nose from being pinched, or he had surfaced from underwater, and felt the need to take in as much oxygen as he could.

"Ryo…?" Dee's voice was soft and timid, the dark-haired man wondering if this was all a dream.

"Where am I?" The sandy-haired detective groaned, scanning the room with sharp eyes. His throat burned, and he longed for a glass of water.

"Ryo! You're…You're in the hospital. You fell down the stairs, love. Oh God, you're awake at last!" Dee embraced the confused-looking man, and then poured him a glass of water from the bedside table. "Bet you're thirsty." Dee smiled, gently raising the glass to the half-Japanese man's soft lips.

Ryo grunted in response, his hands slowly reaching up to take the glass into his own hands.

"No sexy, you'll only spill it all down yourself." Dee said calmly, noticing how Ryo's hands were shaking.

When he'd finished the glass, Ryo smiled at Dee for the first time in four days.

"Thank-you."

"No problem, Ryo. Anything for you. I'd better call the Doc, tell him you're awake."

"Ryo, huh…" The pale detective mumbled. "Hey, do you mind if I ask you a question…?" He called to Dee before the younger man left the room.

"Not at all." Dee smiled back. 'Ryo must be worried about work and the brats; he's such a worrywart…'

"I'm glad for your help and all…but who are you?"

Dee's smile quickly faded. His whole body froze; his blood ran cold. Dee could literally feel his heart beating hard in his chest at Ryo's question.

"_Who are you?"_

XOXOXOXOXOXO

"Hey Ethan, you free after work?" A young red-haired man called to his friend, coming up behind the other and slapping him casually on the back.

"I'm sorry, there's somewhere I'm planning to go…" The blonde-haired man replied, grinning down at the shorter. "Maybe some other time, Ryan."

"Yeah sure. Well, shift ends in five minutes, so I'll see you later."

The tall blonde waved his work mate off before checking his watch.

"Visiting hours are over in just over an hour." He said aloud to himself. "I've got plenty of time. It's been a few days since I've seen McLain…"

With his shift basically over, the blonde headed back to his New York apartment. Once inside, he went straight to his tiny bedroom, crashing out onto the un-made bed.

'I can't wait to see you again, Ryo.' His long fingers searched under a yellow pillow, pulling out a thin slip of paper. It was a photograph. 'And maybe this time, you'll open up your pretty dark eyes for me…' He smiled, holding the picture of a certain sandy-haired detective close to his chest as he drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

TBC…

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Another chapter down, but be warned, not all is as it seems…

Thanks for reading! I hope I can update this more regularly soon. Ideas and your thoughts on this chapter welcome.

Minako Angel xxx


	5. Lost Memories

I'm back! Wow, this has to be one of my quickest updates in history! Once again, thank-you to everyone who is still reading OAM. Special thanks to Golden feathers Edward and Alison for reviewing chapter four. This chapter is dedicated to Golden feathers Edward for following my story from chapter one, and for the lovely review for the previous chapter.

I'm not so keen on this chappy, but I wanted to post it so badly, so enjoy!

Chapter Five: Lost Memories

Dark eyes opened slowly, scanning every inch of a room that was so unrecognisable. Ryo sat up quickly.

"Ouch…" Maybe that wasn't such a good idea. The sandy-haired man groaned in pain, seeing the bandages wrapped around his ribs, and coming to the obvious conclusion that at some point he had become injured.

"All right…where am I?" He wondered, trying hard not to freak out.

A bright yellow post-it note caught his eye, and he slowly made his way to the bedside cabinet it was stuck to.

_Don't worry, you won't remember coming here – short-term memory loss or something._

_Ask Dee – you can trust him._

It said. It was written in his handwriting, yet Ryo couldn't remember writing it.

'Dee…'

On the table there was a photograph of a man with dark hair and beautiful green eyes. He looked late twenties, and his smile was so warm and friendly, that Ryo couldn't help but smile back at the picture.

'He's cute…' He thought, blushing pink at his own conclusion of the man. Turning the picture over, Ryo found writing on the back. It read:

_Dee Laytner_

_Work partner, friend_

Then, in chicken scrawl handwriting that Ryo couldn't place, it read:

_Lover_

"Lover…? Is he my boyfriend?" Ryo wondered aloud, temporarily forgetting his situation.

The half-Japanese man was pulled from his thoughts at the sound of the door opening.

"Good morning." A voice said cheerfully. A handsome man with raven hair grinned at the pale detective. Before Ryo could even open his mouth, the younger man continued. "Yes, I am. The Bertram Inn. Three days. It's okay. I love you."

"Huh?! How did you know what I was going to -?"

"Easy, babe." Dee smiled. "You asked me the exact same questions yesterday morning too…"

"I'm sorry." Ryo stared at the floor apologetically.

"You apologised as well. It's okay, Ryo. The Doctor said you'd regain your long-term memories in no time…"

"I hope so…it feels weird, looking at you, finding out I'm…in a relationship with you, and yet I don't even remember you." Ryo sighed, running his hand through his sandy locks. "You know…" He chuckled lightly. "It's like there's a big, black cloud invading my brain. I keep trying to remember, but all I can see is a hazy vision of darkness. It's like the weather…when that one that cloud has disappeared, I'm sure everything will be fine."

"The Doc said it would take only a few days to regain your long-term memories. That's why I gave you that picture of me, to speed up the progress... I thought spending a few days at your apartment would bring back memories straight away, but nothing…" Dee shook his head. No point in making the atmosphere any more depressing.

"On the post-it I wrote to myself, it only mentioned short-term memory loss. So… so why did I forget you? And why did I forget myself? God, I don't even know what I do for a living!" Ryo took a few deep breaths, watching as Dee sat closer to him.

"I'm not sure. The Doctor said it was 50/50 to whether your long-term memories would be affected. I guess luck just wasn't on our side." Dee began to rub circles on Ryo's back, sensing how tight his muscles were. He was feeling the stress of this fiasco…Not that Dee wasn't. It wasn't often the one you loved forgot who you were. "You work at the 27th Police Department, NY." He added softy.

Ryo sighed as he felt his muscles relax to Dee's gentle ministrations.

"So…" He asked after a few minutes of peaceful silence. "Why are you up so early?"

"I couldn't sleep." Dee admitted true fully. "I had the dream again. The one where you wake up in hospital, unable to recognise me…" He closed his eyes, unable to ignore the pricking behind his green orbs, that signified his need to let go and cry. But he wouldn't. For Ryo.

"I will remember you, Dee. After all, if the Doctor says I will, then I'm sure soon enough, I'll know all about you!" Ryo said with renewed enthusiasm.

'You've said that everyday so far.' Dee thought sadly, tightening his grip on the man that meant so much to him. 'But when? When will your memories return? I don't know how long I can stay strong without you, Ryo. Please, please God, let him remember me. I'm begging you.'

A sob caught in the younger man's throat. In response, the sandy-haired man snuggled closer to Dee's chest. 'Even if it's only a memory…' Dee prayed, holding onto his angel.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

"J.J, could you pass me the file, please?" Drake Parker, another drone worker of the 27th Precinct asked his usually full of life partner. "J.J? Earth to Jemmy!" Drake got up out of his seat to tap the lavender-haired man softly on the head.

"Drake? I'm sorry…" J.J sighed. "Let's finish this off so we can leave earlier today."

"Nah, it's okay. Without the dynamic duo in here, it's like a party at Ted's."

"I resent that!" The red-head shouted over from his desk. "But, I'm worried about Dee and Ryo too…"

"Dee wasn't himself at the hospital. I've never seen him so emotional, ever." J.J admitted. "He's so worried about Ryo."

"Yeah." Drake sighed. "But that's why we're working extra hard, right? So they don't have mounds of work to do once they get back."

"How long has the Walrus given them?" Ted asked, joining the pair at J.J's desk.

"Two weeks for Dee, Ryo is on paid sick leave until he's fit to return to work." Drake replied, opening up the file. "Oh what have we got here…?" He said suddenly.

"What is it?" J.J suddenly became interested; looking at the picture in the newspaper clipping that had caught Drake's attention.

"I know he looks familiar…" Drake began to think hard. "We've seen a picture of this dude before, I know it."

"Oh! Oh, I know!" J.J was once again his typical loud self. "It's in the Bennet file…it's one of the men under suspicion for the ransacked apartment we checked out a few weeks back."

Ted ran to his desk, grabbing the said file. J.J began to flip through the sheets of paper until he came to a photograph. It wasn't of decent quality, but the man certainly looked like the one in the other photograph.

"Hell, it is him!" Ted exclaimed. "Let's see, his name's…Morrison. Craig Morrison, thirty-one years-old, and a New York resident."

The three men stared at the photograph. They were one step closer to solving two horrific cases.

The man had shoulder length blonde hair. He wore shades in both pictures. In the newspaper photo, he wore a Hawaiian leaf print shirt, in the other, a brown suit. His smile was cold, as if he was unable to express true feeling. In the Bennet case photograph, he was holding something.

It looked like some sort of soft drink…

XOXOXOXOXOXO

"Huh?!" Ryo stared at the dark-haired stranger, trying to remember his face, but he just couldn't. "Are…are you Dee?" He asked tentatively.

"Yes." The other replied gently.

"My lover…?" Ryo whispered, remembering the words on the back of the photograph.

"I am." Dee smiled, sitting down on the bed next to Ryo.

"Where…where are we?"

"The Bertram Inn." Dee watched for any sign of recognition in Ryo's eyes. Sadly, there was none.

"And how long have we been here, I can't remember…" Ryo started to panic, clutching his head.

"Two days. You were released from hospital a week ago; we came here for a break from…well, reality I guess. To help you relax and regain your memories." Dee wanted to add 'of me', but couldn't bring himself to say it.

Ryo, however, saw the sadness in those emerald depths.

"I'm so sorry, Dee."

"It's okay. It isn't your fault. I can't even imagine how hard this is for you…" Dee took Ryo's right hand in his own, brushing his lips against the paler man's knuckles. "I love you." He said quietly, feeling a surge of happiness when Ryo smiled at him, laying his head against Dee's shoulder.

It was a sign of trust, and although it wasn't much, it was a start.

TBC…

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Okay, in case this chapter confuses anyone, let me explain. Part one is the present, following on from the last chapter, which was the past. Part two is the present at work, and part three is the past (but not as far back as the past from chapter four) from part one. Got it? I hope so…I'm going to end up confusing myself one of these days!

This will be my last dip into the FAKE section for a while. I' m leaving to venture through other sections and write my other stories. But, I'll be back, I promise! I'm so sorry I didn't complete the evil cliffy from the last chapter…Maybe I will in a later chapter? If anyone wants me to continue, that is.

As long as one person wants to read my story, then I'll keep working at it!

Until the next time!

Minako Angel xxx


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